Timeless
by icameheretowinry
Summary: During a brutal winter a year after the Promised Day, Edward Elric journeys to Fort Briggs to meet a professor from Drachma to learn about their odd form of alchemy. Yet, shortly after a cordial welcome, things take a darker turn. Who is this mysterious professor? Why does his alchemy seem suspiciously familiar? Of all people, why does General Armstrong seem to be afraid of him?


A low groan escape Edward's lips as he heard the door of his study creak open. The shadows shifted harshly as the early-morning winter light poured through the doorway from a window in the hallway. The frozen glass looked as though it were caught mid-shatter, and tiny drifts of a rare snowstorm gathered in the corner of each pane. A golden-haired boy followed the path of the door into the room, the sunlight casting a pale halo around him.

"What do you want, Al?" he grumbled, pausing halfway through a complex equation taking over the paper in front of him.

"Did you see the snow?" he asked, his voice barely able to contain his excitement.

He wandered slowly over the worn work table shoved against the back corner of the former storeroom turned study. Stacks of dusty research volumes, all in various stages of decay, walled his brother in an sort of academic fortress. The notes sprawled across the makeshift desk tumbled across the pages in wobbly lines.

"Did you forget again?" inquired Alphonse with laugh.

Ed glanced down at his white-knuckled on the pencil in his left hand.

"Oh, right," he mumbled and switched to his right.

If he was honest, either way felt a little foreign if he gave it enough thought.

"What are you working on?"

"I WAS trying to figure out how alchemists from Drachma practice some form of alchemy without using a portal," replied Ed with a frown.

"How's that going?" asked Al as he leaned a shoulder against the study's greying wallpaper.

"Nothing but dead end's," he admitted bitterly as he released his iron grip on the pencil, "I don't think I'll really get anywhere until I meet with that professor at Briggs next month. That is, if the general doesn't… put a stop to it…"

Ed shuddered.

"You should take a break then!" he said with a chuckle, "Especially if you're not getting anywhere."

"It's important for me to have all of my basic research done, Al," replied Ed sternly, "You know how tedious this whole arrangement is."

"I know, brother," said Al, "But you finished your basic research months ago!"

"I could still be missing something!"

Al laughed harder, "You just never know when to take it easy, do you?! My research materials have to be translated before I can do anything. So, I accepted that maybe I won't be able to do anything for awhile!

Ed didn't reply, his gaze bore into the cluster of half-finished equations resting on the table.

"The winter festival in town is up and running," Al mentioned suddenly.

"The one we used to go to as kids?" asked Ed, still staring at his notes.

"Yeah," he replied, "Winry and I are going."

"And so are you!"

WInry barreled into the small study, and before Ed could react, yanked him out of his chair and pulled him down the hallway towards the front door.

"WHAT THE HELL WINRY?!"

The blond mechanic simply smiled and shoved his jacket and a pair of gloves into his hands.

"You're going to need these," she said with a wink, "It's cold out there!"

A permanent scowl tugged at the corners of Ed's lips the second he stepped out the door. While the little village of Resembool wasn't particularly known for its harsh winters, every decade or two, a fierce cold would clamp down on the countryside and bury it under a thick blanket of snow. He jammed his gloved fingers deeper into his coat pockets to ward off the numbness already setting in.

"This is awful," he muttered, "And it makes my leg ache."

"Oh, come on, Ed!" said Winry spinning to face his direction, sending tendrils of her blond hair cascading over the shoulders of her baby blue jacket, "You sound like a cranky old man! This is supposed to be fun!"

The alchemist grumbled something incoherent under his breath and continued to trudge slowly along the snowy road. Winry rolled her eyes and quickened her pace to catch up with Al.

As he listened to the two of them rapidly exchange their plans for the afternoon, a few memories, blurred and melancholy around the edges, crawled their way back into his head. Yet, before they came into focus, a familiar voice shattered the stagnant chill around them.

"ALPHONSE?!"

The voice belonged to a petite girl with a tangle of wild brown hair. Her navy wool coat billowed out behind her as she bounded through the snow towards them. Alphonse stumbled as she engulfed him in a hug.

"M-Millie!" stammered Al as he returned her embrace.

Fragments of the years spent in their tiny village school flashed through Ed's mind.

She pulled away, tears sparkling in her emerald eyes, "We all heard the rumors. I'm overjoyed to finally find they're true!"

"Nice to see you too, Mille," remarked Ed.

She released Al, and turned toward him with playful smirk.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Eddie, were you feeling left out?" she asked, her words drawn out long and slow, "Would you like an award for finally getting taller?"

Ed shook his head and pulled his old friend into a hug. Millie glanced over to Al and Winry who were poorly attempting to stifle their giggles.

"Still the same idiot as always," she said with a smile, "Right, Winry?"

A curious fluttering suddenly settled in the mechanic's stomach, and chased the laughter away from her lips.

"Eh… uh y-yeah, I guess so," she mumbled.

"There you are!" another voice echoed across the frozen landscape.

The boy that followed was nearly breathless from running through the snow, his cheeks stained pink and his red curls damp against his forehead.

"Sorry, Cass," said Millie, "You know what happens when I get excited."

Cassius, another former classmate, simply shook his head and smiled.

"Long time no see!" he said cheerily as he shook the brothers' hands and pulled Winry into a quick hug.

"What are the two of you up to these days?" asked Al while fishing a pair of gloves out of his coat pocket.

"I've been away at university in East City in an engineering program run by the military," explained Millie, "But after all that's happened, I'm not really sure what's next. For now, I'm home waiting for classes to resume."

She shrugged, sending the fine layer of snow that settled on her shoulder flurrying to the ground.

"I'm an apprentice to the current schoolmaster," said Cass, "I have a lot of ideas for new programs for students, but I have to become certified first. And you three?"

"Alchemy," answered the Elric brothers nearly simultaneously.

"Automail!" added Winry with a laugh.

"None of you have truly changed a bit!" said Cass with a shake of his head.

"Hey, Al," said Millie suddenly, "You wouldn't want to go ice skating with us, would you?"

"Yes!" said Al, his golden eyes sparkling.

Ed frowned.

"Oh, come on, Eddie," said Millie as she gave his shoulder a playful shove, "You and Winry are more than welcome to come too!"

"Not for me," replied Ed evenly, "In this weather, my leg is a bit too stiff for something like that."

"Winry?"

"I'll stay here with the grouch and keep him entertained."

"HEY!"

"Well, it's true!"

Millie laid a hand on Winry's shoulder, "Thanks for taking one for the team, Win."

"I'M STANDING RIGHT HERE YOU KNOW!"

"Come on, Al!" said Cass with a wave of his hand.

It wasn't long before the three of them disappeared behind the whiteness of the nearest hill. Ed shoved his gloved hands deep into his pockets and continued down the road, leaving Winry to catch up to him.

"He's going to be just fine, you know," Winry assured him after she fell in step beside him.

The scowl momentarily faded from Ed's face.

"I'm not worried about him," said Ed, his voice muffled and low, "He's had six months to adjust to his body, and besides, he's seventeen. He's old enough to make his own decisions."

"You know you can't fool me, right Ed?"

The alchemist raised his eyebrows and glanced over at her in awe. Her gaze remained fixed on the cluster of tiny wooden huts in the distance.

"You're right that he's had time to adjust," she continued, "but I know you still worry."

"Win… I…"

"It's okay, you know," she said, glancing up at him with a smile, "I worry about the two of you all the time."

"I… I… uh—"

The torrent of thoughts in his head refused to form themselves into coherent sentences.

"LET'S GO SHOPPING!" exclaimed Winry suddenly, before grabbing Ed's hand and sprinting towards the winter market now in full view in front of them. As Ed stumbled after her, he began to wonder just what sort of afternoon he'd gotten himself into.

Like most aspects of Resembool, the market seemed caught in a small pocket of space where time stood still. Everything was just as Ed remembered it: fifteen or so wooden huts selling odd collections of trinkets or hearty traditional food, a large covered dance hall, a massive fire pit to be brought to life after the winter sun fizzled out by late afternoon, and somewhere off in the distance, a frozen pond filled with skaters.

Yet, he couldn't help but feel that he was stuck on the outside; watching the familiar through a wall of thick, blurry glass. His mind leapt from thought to thought without lingering, and the answers to the questions posed in the dusty tomes piled in his study hovered cruelly out of reach.

"ED!"

He quickly turned himself right-side out to find Winry staring at him, her face lined with worry, clutching a faded red book in her hands.

"Are you alright?"

Ed winced as he shifted his weight off his automail leg, but offered her a reassuring smile, "Oh, I'm just fine, Win! I was just… uh… thinking about my research and—"

"YOU IDIOT!"

He yelped as he felt the book's stiff leather cover made contact with his right shoulder.

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING A BREAK!"

She punctuated each word with a dramatic wave of the book.

"Ma'am?"

A small voice caught Ed's attention. It's origin quickly revealed itself to be the small elderly shopkeeper practically cowering behind his small mountains of antique books.

"Ma'am?" he repeated himself, a little louder, "Please, that's an antique and the only copy I have!"

Winry paused in her rant, her cheeks instantly flushing, as she rummaged through the pockets of her thick wool coat.

"I'm terribly sorry," she mumbled as she pressed a disorderly stack of bills into the man's trembling hands, "He's just been so stressed lately, and I want to make sure he has a nice afternoon…"

She quickly turned, the book clutched to her chest, and stiffly marched away through the snow.

"Geez, Win!" gasped Ed when he finally caught up to her, "What was that all about? Are you trying to traumatize me into having a good time?"

The mechanic stopped and turned toward him, her lips drawn into a frown.

"You wouldn't answer me, Ed! I asked you the same question three times and you were so far off in your own head, you didn't even hear me…"

"I'm sorry! I really am."

Winry sighed and held out the book, "Now that I have your attention, do you think this would be a nice gift for Al? Especially now that I'm stuck with it?"

Ed took the book and gently opened it's faded red cover. While likely a little outdated due to its age, the alchemist's breath caught in his throat when he realized he was holding a translated copy of the "Medicinal Benefits of Xingese Alkahestry," one of the foundational building blocks of his brother's alchemic research. No copies were thought to longer exist.

"W-Winry…" his voice trembling, "How did you find this?!"

Her frown loosed into a small smile, "To be honest, it was the first book I picked up. When I saw the title, I thought it could maybe be useful to Al's research."

"Useful?!" gasped Ed, "This is incredible!"

Before he could turn a page, Winry quickly pulled the book out of his hands.

"Hey!"

"No reading ahead!" she answered with a playful smirk, "This is Al's gift, not yours. If you want to read it, you'll have to take it up with him."

"No fair…" mumbled Ed, as he shoved his nearly numb hands into his coat pockets.

They both perked up as the heavy scent of cinnamon curled lazily through the frigid air. The hut closest to them was nearly enveloped in a hazy spiced fog that rose off two large kettles brimming with dark liquid. A blurry image of his mother in her frighteningly red coat flashed quickly through Ed's mind.

"Our parents used to drink this" said Winry suddenly.

Ed nodded, quietly grateful she remembered too.

"Let's try it!"

Before he could object, Winry dashed up to the counter and ordered a steaming mug for each of them.

"Ah, Ed?"

Ed rolled his eyes and joined her at the counter before pulling a few coins from his pocket and dropping them into the hand of the heavyset man on the other side.

"Al's gift a little pricier than you thought?"

"Shut up," mumbled Winry as she shoved a drink at him.

Tendrils of steam curled slowly off the murky liquid, as if slowed by the chilly air. A calming warmth blossomed in Ed's chest after the first sip. While initially sweet, its flavor faded into slight spicy bitterness as it lingered on his tongue. He glanced over to Winry whose crystalline eyes were wide. Her bangs fell damp against her forehead.

"I'm pretty sure there's a significant amount of alcohol in here," she stated, eyeing the dark liquid with suspicion.

Ed couldn't help but laugh, "No wonder our parents always seemed to be having such a good time!"

Something melancholic flickered in Winry's eyes as she took another sip. Ed frowned.

"You don't have to drink it if you don't like it," he said.

"It's not that," the mechanic replied as she lowered the mug from her lips, "I'm just remembering. It's just hard not to feel a little blue."

Ed gave her shoulder a gentle nudge, recalling the blurry thoughts that earlier crossed his mind.

"Don't go getting all mopey on me," he said gently, "We're here to have a good time, right?"

Winry nodded as the sadness slowly faded from her gaze. She took another sip.

"One of my favorite memories of the market from when we were little was of Hohen— I mean, your father," she said suddenly.

"Really?!" asked Ed, unable to restrain his surprise.

"Yeah!" replied Winry, "Every time he drank this, his glasses always fogged up from the steam. He always looked so confused, like he always forgot it would happen. I don't why, but for some reason, I thought it was hilarious!"

He grinned.

"My old man was pretty clueless a lot of the time."

Winry pointed out it was the first time she hadn't heard him call his father a name. Ed, naturally, blamed the drink.

"Or maybe my favorite is the time I tried to teach you and Al how to ice skate," she giggled, "Al was decent, but you were TERRIBLE!"

Ed groaned, "You always make it sound worse than it was. I did just fine!"

"You fell on your bum so many times you couldn't sit properly for a week!"

"Enough about it!" Ed pouted.

He glanced down at the empty mug, "These sure are strong…"

Yet, when Winry suggested another round, he didn't object. With every sip, they drew out moments of the past together, one old instance of happiness triggering another.

"And do you remember that awful snowman?!" giggled Winry, nearly dissolving into tears, "With the skulls all over it?!"

"It was badass!" asserted Ed.

"It was tacky beyond belief!" laughed Winry as she dabbed her eyes with the her coat sleeve.

Ed shook his head in defeat, "It was pretty bad..."

"He admits the truth!" gasped Winry with exaggerated astonishment.

It was beginning to snow, leaving a fine silver dusting upon every undisturbed surface, and Ed slowly noticed the music drifting through the frigid air. Maybe it was the mulled wine crowding out his thoughts, but she was standing there so perfectly in the dying light, her cheeks stained pink, a veil of snow caught in her hair, and her lips dressed with a smile.

"Do you want to go dance?" he asked.

Winry nodded, grabbed his hand, and they headed towards the covered hall. A couple hours later, that's where Al found them, as the last notes of the night died upon the strings.

He smiled and walked across the dance floor to meet them, a worn pair of borrowed skates slung over his left shoulder.

"Al!" exclaimed Ed as he Winry paused mid-step, "When did you get here?"

"Oh, not too long ago," his brother replied, "Took awhile to get your attention though!"

"You two make such a cute couple!" remarked Millie cheerfully, who was followed closely by Cass, "Sure took you two long enough. All of us saw it coming for ages!"

The alchemist and mechanic instantly reddened, quickly put some distance between themselves.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL!" they insisted nearly simultaneously.

Millie rolled her eyes while Cass and Al shared a knowing look.

"I just wanted Ed to have a good time!" said Winry desperately, "And he did. That's all!"

"Thanks for making up my mind for me, Win."

Winry placed her hands on her hips and shook her head, "You did have a good time, didn't you?"

Ed raised his hands in defeat, "You got me! I did."

Then, after the usual fanfare of goodbyes and promises to see each again soon, the trio headed home. The air was cool and still. Ed was listening to Al and Winry talk about his new book, and for the first time, he wished they could be as timeless as Resembool. Because it was still snowing and Winry's eyes were full of stars.


End file.
